Cost Analysis of the Primary Instructional Television Program in the Ivory Coast.

Eicher, Jean-Claude; Orivel, Francois

This study of the costs of educational reform undertaken in the Ivory Coast in 1971 focuses on the primary education level (children aged 7-12). Designed to ensure that 100 percent of the primary school-age children receive an education and to adapt the content of that education to the characteristics and needs of Ivorians, this reform entailed the introduction of television in the classroom, the establishment of a system of printed support materials, and a reorganization in teacher training. The first part of this report describes and provides projections for the development of primary education from 1971-1990, including the general organization, student enrollment, and flow, as well as costs in such areas as reception (television sets and equipment, electricity, and maintenance), television production, teacher education and training, and the printed support material system. The second part provides discussions of cost function and average costs per student, program financing, and educational resource allocations in the Ivory Coast. A comparison of current findings with those of an earlier study for the same period, general conclusions, and eight recommendations conclude the report. (BBM)